Fishing game

ABSTRACT

A fishing game includes a game board, game pieces, cards and fish weight tally sheets. Players compete to see which player can catch the greatest weight in fish within a set limit in total number of fish. Each player has a game piece, which may resemble a boat. The order of playing and the selection of a game piece is determine by a each player throwing the dice. In turn each player throws a pair of dice to see how many moves he will make along the game board. While two dice are thrown, only the number displayed on the upper side of one die is used. Each player moves, one at a time, around the tackle shop to select a lure. Each player is given a “Second Chance” card while shopping for a lure. After each player has selected a lure, then they, in turn, start moving around the fishing area to catch fish. At the end of the game, the player with the fish of greatest total weight wins the game.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to board games, and more particularly to a fishing game in which several players compete to see which player can catch the greatest weight amount of fish with randomly selected lures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,576 defines a fishing game for a plurality of players including a game board, playing pieces, playing cards and a die. The game board is arranged into fishing holes for each of up to four players, each fishing hole having playing spaces arranged thereon according to different depths of water. The playing pieces have information printed thereon relating to a type and weight of a particular fish, and also relating to fishing events. The playing cards have information printed thereon relating to fishing bait and lure types. The die includes several faces, each face indicating a depth of water.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,615 defines a game for measuring and ranking the sport fishing skills of players, played on a course including a body of water having several designated and marked fishing locations, includes the steps of fishing at a given fishing location until a fish is caught, proceeding to the next fishing location until all fishing locations are fished, recording the number of casts required to catch a fish at each fishing location, and computing scores for each player based at least in part on the total number of casts made by each player. The game preferably additionally includes the steps of weighing fish caught by each player and computing scores at least in part on the weight of the caught fish.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,578defines a game in which a printed board or sheet piece provided with a representation of a lake and surrounding earth or land area imprinted thereon and having a grid arrangement superimposed on at least the lake or water areas to provide playing spaces for movement of playing pieces along the grid, each move being determined by the casting of at least one die, with the end result of the game play corresponding generally to the well known anglers' fishing tournament which is commonly called Bass Masters Classic. Tokens representative of fish are loosely disposed on certain selected squares of the grid and are retained by the first player whose playing pieces lands or comes to rest on the square, thus representing the player's “catch”. When all of the players have moved around the board and return to the BOAT RAMP, at least one session or portion of the game is completed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a board game in which players compete to see which player can catch the greatest weight in fish. Each player has a game piece, which may resemble a boat. The order of playing and the selection of a game piece is determine by a each player throwing the dice. In turn each player throws a pair of dice to see how many moves he will make along the game board. While two dice are thrown, only the number displayed on the upper side of one die is used. Each player moves, one at a time, around the tackle shop to select a lure. Each player is given a “Second Chance” card while shopping for a lure. After each player has selected a lure, then they, in turn, start moving around the fishing area to catch fish. At the end of the game, the player that caught the greatest total weight of fish within the set limit wins the game. Also, the person who catches the largest single fish, by weight, is a winner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the game board;

FIGS. 2 a-2 q show the back and fronts of the lure selection cards;

FIGS. 3 a-3 q show the back and fronts of the “Catch a Fish” cards on which a specific lure is designated;

FIG. 4 shows the “SECOND CHANCE” tackle shop card;

FIG. 5 shows a pair of dice used in the game;

FIG. 6 shows one of the game pieces in the form of a boat; and

FIG. 7 shows a score keeping card on which the weight of each fish caught is listed, and totaled for each player.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows the game board used in the fishing game. Board 10 has a parking area 11, which is the starting point of the game. Each player moves to the Marina & Tackle Shop 12, and from there moves around the tackle shop area to selecting lures. The 16 designated lures selecting areas are designated 13. In the center of the board are two squares 14 and 15 on which cards FISH ON and LURE CARDS are placed. The player returns to the Parking area 11 and the goes to the Boat ramp 17.

The fishing begins as the players move around squares 17, 18 and 19 which are in a varied sequence around the board. Squares 17 each have a fish thereon which may be caught by a player, each fish having a designated weight. Several “Lose a Lure” squares 18 are placed at several points around the board. When a player lands on “Lose a Lure” square, he must give up a lure card.

Additional squares 19 are designated “Marina & Tackle Shop” squares. When a player lands on one of these squares, he has an opportunity to visit the “Marina & Tackle Shop” to select another lure. The game begins from the parking lot, into and around the tackle shop counter clockwise, then proceeds around the board at first clockwise in the outer path of squares, and then proceed to an inner fishing path with “Fish”, “Lose a Lure” and “Marina & Tackle Shop” squares which proceed around the board in a counter clockwise direction. The direction of movement always follows the direction in which the fish are traveling. The fishing path ends at the Boat ramp after one time around the board.

FIG. 2 illustrates the “Lure” Cards with card 2 a showing the common back side of the cards, and cards 2 b-2 q show the different front sides of the cards. The cards illustrated, in the order listed, 2 b-2 q are: Lure #1, Lure #2, Lure #3, Lure #4, Lure #5, Lure#6, Lure #7, Lure #8, Lure #9,Lure #10 , Lure #11, Lure #12, Lure #13, Lure #14, Lure #15, and Lure #16. While, the cards have the lures designated by numbers, specific named lures could also be used, for example, including, but not limited to: Top Water Plug, 6 Inch Plastic Worm, Carolina Rigged Worm, Tandem Blade Spinner, Live Action Plastic Shad, Leadhead Jig, Deep Diving Plug, 6 Inch Plastic Lizard, Single Blade Spinner, 12 Inch Plastic Worm, Shallow Running Plug, Plastic Frog, Leadhead Jig with Pork Trailer, Live Action Minnow, Crippled Minnow Lure and Texas Rigged Worm.

FIG. 3 illustrates the cards which indicate on which lure a fisherman catches a fish. Card 3 a shows the common back side of the “FISH ON CARDS” cards and cards 3 b-3 q show the different sides of the from sides of the cards. The cards illustrated, in the order listed, 3 b-3 q are: Catch a Fish on Lure #1, Catch a Fish on Lure #2, Catch a Fish on Lure #3, Catch a Fish on Lure #4, Catch a Fish on Lure #5, Catch a Fish on Lure #6, Catch a Fish on Lure #7, Catch a Fish on Lure #8, Catch a Fish on Lure #9, Catch a Fish on Lure #10, Catch a Fish on Lure #11, Catch a Fish on Lure #12, Catch a Fish on Lure #13, Catch a Fish on Lure #14, Catch a Fish on Lure #15, and Catch a Fish on Lure #16. Each “Catch a Fish” card may also include a specific name of a lure, for example, each card may specifically name a lure such as “Catch a Fish on a Top Water Plug”.

The uses of the cards illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are explained below with reference to the description of the rules and procedure for playing the game.

FIG. 4 shows the “SECOND CHANCE TACKLE SHOP CARD” with which each player has a second chance to visit the tackle shop to select a lure.

FIG. 5 shows a pair of dice what are used in the game. During a part of the game, the numbers of both dice are used, and in another part of the game, only the number on the upper face of one die is used even though both dice are thrown.

FIG. 6 shows and an example of a game piece that may be used with the game. FIG. 6 shows a boat. Since there may be as many as four players, there may be four boat game pieces, each with a different design, a different color, or each boat may have a different number on it. The exact design is not critical as long as each game piece is distinguishable for the others.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a WEIGH-IN TICKET 35 that may be used to keep score. The ticket has a column for each player, for example Fisherman #1, Fisherman #2, Fisherman #3, and Fisherman #4. The left hand column designates a row for each fish caught (#1 to #5), up to five fish for each player, and a total weight for the fish caught. Play ends at the boat ramp after one time around the lake in a fishing tournament. The next to bottom row of the ticket indicates the order each player finishes the game. The bottom row shows the Tournament winner and the player with the largest fish. A new ticket is required for each game.

Rules and Procedures of Play

The game board 10 is placed on a flat surface and the “FISH ON” cards are shuffled and placed 15 on the game board, and the LURE cards are placed on 14 on the game board.

The Players vote to select a TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL to record and total the weight of fish caught and to distribute the LURE cards and SECOND CHANCE cards. Each player gets one “SECOND CHANCE” card.

Each fisherman rolls the dice (2) to choose a BOAT and determine the order of play. The highest number rolled chooses a BOAT to fish from and moves first, and so on with the lowest number choosing a BOAT to fish from and moving last. The numbers on both die are used in this case. In actual play, each fisherman roll both die, but uses the number on only one die to determine the number of positions moved. The fisherman rolling the dice decides which die number to use.

Play begins from the “PARKING AREA”, where fishermen move their BOATS into and around the TACKLE SHOP once, following the arrows. Play proceeds back to the “PARKING AREA”, entering the lake from the “Boat Ramp”, Each player follows the fish around the lake and marina back to the BOAT RAMP where play ends. Movement is determined by the role of dice.

During the movement of the players (the fishermen) around the squares in TACKLE SHOP, a fisherman receives a LURE CARD corresponding to the square on which he lands. Each Fishermen can use his SECOND CHANCE card one time to shop for lures when they land on any MARINA/TACKLE SHOP square. When the “SECOND CHANCE” is used, it must be given to the TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL. Each Fishermen must enter and exit from the same square after one time around the TACKLE SHOP. Play stops for other fishermen until that fisherman completes one round in the TACKLE SHOP.

If a fisherman lands on a FISH square, and he wants that fish, he draws a FISH ON card from the top of the FISH ON card deck. If the fisherman has the LURE card that corresponds to the FISH ON card drawn, he catches that fish and the TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL records the weight on the WEIGH-IN TICKET. The FISH ON card is then returned to the bottom of the deck. If the fisherman does not want that fish, a FISH ON card is not drawn. The limit is FIVE FISH per fisherman, and CULLING IS NOT ALLOWED. Once a fish is caught it cannot be thrown back.

If a fisherman lands on a LOSE LURE square, he gives one LURE card of his choice to the TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL, and it is returned to the TACKLE SHOP where it can be sold again.

Play ends at the BOAT RAMP. When the last fisherman arrives back to the BOAT RAMP, the TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL totals the weight of all fish that each fisherman caught and announces the WINNER of the tournament. In the event of a tie in the top total weight caught, the fisherman that tied in the top weight, and arrived to BOAT RAMP first, is announced as the WINNER by the TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL. The winner with the largest fish is also announced at that time.

Only one fisherman is allowed on a square at a time, except when in the TACKLE SHOP. When a fisherman rolls the dice while fishing, and the numbers on the dice would put him on a square that is occupied, he cannot move and forfeits that turn. 

1. A fishing board game comprising: a game board having squares-like areas forming multiple paths around the board; a plurality of cards indicating fishing lures; a plurality of cards indicating a fish being caught with a specific lure; a plurality of game pieces, one for each player; and a pair of dice, one of which is used, for determining the number of squares each player moves for each play.
 2. The game according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the squares on the game board defines at least one of a fish of a certain weight and a lost lure.
 3. The game according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of squares on the board represent a tackle shop where different fish lures are obtained.
 4. The game according to claim 1, including a square representing a parking lot.
 5. The game according to claim 1, including a square on the board representing a boat ramp.
 6. The game according to claim 1, wherein said board includes a location for placing the a plurality of cards indicating fishing lures and the plurality of cards indicating a fish being caught with a specific lure.
 7. The game according to claim 3, including a card given to each player for a second chance to visit the tackle shop.
 8. A fishing board game comprising: a game board having squares-like areas forming at least two paths around the board; a plurality of square-like areas in one of said at least two paths representing a tackle shop; a plurality of cards indicating fishing lures; a plurality of cards indicating a fish being caught with a specific lure; a plurality of game pieces, one for each player; and a pair of dice, one of which is used, for determining the number of squares each player moves for each play.
 9. The game according to claim 8, wherein at least some of the squares on the game board defines at least one of a fish of a certain weight and a lost lure.
 10. The game according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of tackle shop square-like area on the board represent different fish lures.
 11. The game according to claim 8, including a square representing a parking lot.
 12. The game according to claim 8, including a square on the board representing a boat ramp.
 13. The game according to claim 8, wherein said board includes a location for placing the plurality of cards indicating fishing lures and the plurality of cards indicating a fish being caught with a specific lure.
 14. The game according to claim 10, including a card given to each player for a second chance to visit the tackle shop.
 15. The game according to claim 10, wherein movement of the players begins counter clockwise into the marina/tackle shop, then clockwise around the outer path, and then counter clockwise to the boat ramp.
 16. The game according to claim 10, wherein the game has a tournament winner and a winner with the largest fish caught.
 17. A fishing board game comprising: a game board having squares-like areas forming two paths around the board, the fish path beginning at a boat ramp; a plurality of square-like areas in one of said two paths representing a tackle shop; a second of said two paths representing a lake; a plurality of cards indicating fishing lures; a plurality of cards indicating a fish being caught with a specific lure; a plurality of game pieces, one for each player; and a pair of dice, one of which is used, for determining the number of squares each player moves for each play. 